Water, Please
by Red Fez
Summary: Audrey can't take it. She may have entered the barn out of her own free will, but she's leaving everyone she loves behind. And with Howard dead, no one's there to help her. Except for Duke. For the next twenty seven years, he comforts her. But in the blink of an eye, it's all gone. **Post season 3 finale, Thanks for the Memories


**Author's Note: I wrote this after watching the season 3 finale, Thanks for the Memories. And I support Duke/Audrey, so the whole Audrey loves Nathan, not Duke thing made me go into a mad fangirl rampage. And write this. So, here's some Duke/Audrey for all you people out there who support the same ship I do.**

**Spoilers for the season 3 finale. Takes place essentially right after it.**

**This will NOT be a multichapter. Unless I get like 5+ requests to make it a multichap, in which case I probably still won't, but there is a higher chance I will.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not, in any way, shape, or form own the awesomeness that is Haven.**

* * *

Audrey stood in the barn, the hard white walls taunting her. To her left and right, the hall seemed to stretch on forever. In front of her, the of arch leading to the middle hallway loomed. She could see, beyond the middle hallway, the far hallway. The small pool of blood from where Audrey had accidentally stabbed Arla had dried, James' blood was dry as well.

Turning to the right, the blond police officer began to walk down the endless hall. Her mind was in chaos, having only just said goodbye to both Nathan and Duke. In one of her past lives - Sarah's, to be exact - Audrey and Nathan had had a child; James. And James had married Arla when Lucy had come around. Which, in a weird way, made Audrey the mother-in-law of Arla. And Arla had tried to kill her.

Arla had taken on the appearance of countless people, and killed more, making the perfect skin suit to look exactly as she had originally.

Audrey's blond hair was pulled back into a bun, and her blue eyes took in everything, not that there was much to look at anyway. Everything in the barn was white. White walls, white floors, white ceilings. Nothing but an endless sea of white. She wondered where Howard was. He'd shown up in every life of hers, helping her into the barn when the time came. But he was nowhere to be seen.

She continued walking, her thoughts swirling around in her mind.

-x-

Outside, Nathan was staring at Duke, who held the gun that Audrey had given to him, making him promise to not let Nathan follow her in. Every piece of his very being told Nathan to push Duke out of the way, to go running after Audrey. But Duke held strong, not letting Nathan run after the woman they both loved.

Behind them, Howard stood, explaining something to the two of them. Nathan spun around, pulling out his own gun, aiming it at Howard. Duke pointed his borrowed gun at Nathan, and Jordan, somewhere behind the two of them, leveled her gun at Nathan.

Nathan pulled the trigger on his gun repeatedly, letting several bullets go flying through the air at Howard. In response, Jordan shot Nathan a few times from behind. Howard fell, landing on his back, still. And Nathan collapsed forward onto his knees, Duke catching him.

The barn taking up most of the clearing began to collapse in upon itself, and Arla's body, which was resting up against the side of it, was sucked in.

Jordan turned and fled the scene, her long black hair flying up into the air, leaving Duke with an injured Nathan, an imploding barn, and a dying - if not already dead - Howard. Nathan pleaded with Duke to go after Audrey. To not let her be alone in the barn for 27 years. Duke shook his head, refusing.

Nathan continued to beg him to, and Duke finally stood and approached the barn. Duke glanced over his shoulder once, looking back at his lifelong enemy. Then he took a step forward. Then another. And then he was diving into the barn, getting sucked in.

Nathan, having just watched Duke disappear, stood and began walking towards the barn. But before he was close enough to feel the pull, the barn was gone, blinking away into nonexistence. Nathan stood in the now empty clearing, Howard's body laying on the grass behind him.

He had been shot multiple times, but Nathan felt no pain. He never felt anything unless it was Audrey that was touching him. But now, now that Audrey was gone - for the next 27 years, anyway - he would be able to feel again. The invisible membrane separating him from the rest of the world would be gone. And he'd be able to feel.

Feel what he was touching. Feel the pressure of someone's lips against his. Feel pain when he was injured. He would be able to _feel_.

But it was at the cost of losing Audrey. And feeling wasn't worth that much.

-x-

Duke was sprawled on the floor of the barn, and he quickly staggered to his feet, holding his left hand against the wall to steady himself. Near him, Arla's body was resting up against one of the white arches of the hallway.

Her blond hair was limp around her shoulders, and Duke could the seams of where the Skinwalker had sewn the individual pieces of skin together. He shuddered and began walking away, going left. His goal was to find Audrey, and he'd be damned if he didn't die trying.

-x-

Audrey walked for what seemed like years. In reality, it was probably only a few hours. Somewhere a long ways behind, Duke was walking in the opposite direction.

Time seemed to have no meaning here, but Audrey knew she'd be in the barn for 27 years before she was pulled out. She'd have a new name, and new memories to go along with it. Taking a moment to wonder what her next name would be, Audrey stopped walking. She sank back against the wall, unable to take it. Soon, she'd have no memory of who she was, who she knew, who she loved. Audrey didn't want to forget any of that.

It was what made her who she was. She might gain a new life every 27 years or so, but that didn't stop her from making permanent friends. Vince and Dave had known her when she was Lucy, but they probably wouldn't be around anymore when she came back to Haven in another 27 years.

But that was how it worked in Haven. A 27 year cycle. Audrey, or whatever her name was that time, would show up in Haven, bringing the Troubles with her. And she'd help the Troubled, advising them and helping them to control it. Then, she'd enter the barn, the Troubles disappearing with her.

The only way to stop the Troubles for good was to have Audrey kill the one she loved. But there was no way in hell that she was going to kill him.

Audrey drew her knees up and began crying.

-x-

Duke strolled down the hall, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He'd abandoned Audrey's gun near where he'd entered, and he was now weapon less. If he had to fight someone or something in this strange place, he'd have to use his charm to get out of it. He continued on walking, occasionally shoving his black hair out of his eyes when it fell into his view.

-x-

Nathan stood outside where the barn had once stood. He glanced around him, wondering what he should do, where he should go. He was beginning to feel the pain of his bullet wounds, and he collapsed, letting out a small gasp.

Staggering back to his feet, he began walking unsteadily back to where Haven lay. Nathan Wuornos was determined to be around when Audrey came back.

-x-

Duke stopped walking when he saw Audrey up ahead. Glancing around, he ran a hand through his hair before shouting, "Audrey!" and running over to her.

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears, tear tracks clear on her face. "Du- Duke?" she whispered.

Kneeling down beside her, Duke Crocker pulled Audrey close to him, wrapping his arms around her. "Shh. I'm here. It's okay," he comforted the one he loved.

"No, no it's not okay," she sobbed against him.

The two stayed that way, Duke silently comforting Audrey as her body shook with her tears. Neither got hungry, nor tired; they did not age, either. But they both knew that they'd been there for years, never moving, never leaving each other.

And then, one day, Duke blinked and the barn was gone. Audrey was gone. He was kneeling in the clearing where the barn had once stood, by himself. No one else was around. He stood, his eyes darting around him. In the distance, he saw Haven. It didn't appear to have changed much, but he was looking at it from a distance. Up close, everything could be different.

He started off towards it.

-x-

The next few days passed by in a blur. Nathan had aged. Dave and Vince were gone. Dwight had left town. And Duke Crocker had remained the same.

He took up residence in the room above the Grey Gull, in what used to be Audrey's room. Duke tried to avoid thinking about her. When she showed up again, she would have no idea who he or any of the other residents were. Duke reclaimed ownership of the Grey Gull, trying to set the bar up for business again.

The day of its reopening was a good day. He chatted with the customers, getting to know the new residents and reacquainting with the old. And that's when she walked through the door.

Her hair was different, but other than that, she looked exactly like she had before. Age had not touched her face, and her eyes were blue - the same as always. Her hair was black in this life, and she wore it in a braid over her right shoulder.

Duke watched, heart pounding, as she sauntered over to the counter. "Hey," she said to him, her tone flirty.

Her voice was the same. Everything about her seemed the same - but so different at the same time. They shared the same face, the same ability, but they were two completely different people.

"Hey," Duke greeted her, "What can I get for you?"

"Just a water for now is fine. I'll be getting something stronger later," the raven-haired woman responded.

Duke smiled, though it pained him to do so. This woman looked exactly like Audrey Parker. Everything about her was the same, save for the hair. "So just a water for..." he trailed off, the unspoken question of her name hanging in the air.

"Selena. My name is Selena Morain."


End file.
